What A Bind
by gemini69
Summary: It's Ginny's last year at Hogwarts and she finds herself torn between two men... One which she believed she was born to love and one she may not be able to live without. As things escalate she realizes what a bind she has gotten into.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1 The Final Trip To Hogwarts  
**_  
Ginny smiled as she watched the Hogwarts Express loading up. Her last year at Hogwarts. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had all graduated the previous year. Some of the graduates had decided to stay on at the school. The war had taken a few teachers with it and no one wanted to shut down the school, so... Harry had stayed on to teach DADA and was now known as Professor Potter. Hermione had been given the position of headmistress when Mcgonagall decided that she needed a break after everything that had happened. Headmistress Granger... Wow! Draco had stayed to teach Potions. He had helped them fight the final battle, in the end taking down almost as many Death Eaters as Harry had. She still wasn't sure if she could stomach calling him Professor Malfoy though, even if the git had changed his ways. Ron had taken up the post of Quidditch coach and he couldn't have been happier. Surprisingly Neville had taken the post of teaching Herbology. Ginny knew that the students would love him.

A lot had changed in less than a year. Bill and Fleur were married now and she had decided that Fleur wasn't so bad when she had stuck with Bill through it all a few years ago. Now the two of them were expecting their first child. Gin and Fleur had spent a good bit of the summer together talking about anything and everything. Percy had started talking to the family again. The only one that would talk back though was Mrs. Weasley. Everyone else still hadn't forgiven him. Hermione and Ron were engaged and neither of them could wait to get married next summer. She and Harry however had not gotten back together. They had decided after the war that they were better friends and that they would just see what happened. Harry mostly stayed to himself nowadays. He was much more at peace though since avenging Sirius's death.

Ginny's head reeled with all that had happened. She smiled and picked up her trunk. They had all survived though. For that alone she was thankful. This was going to be a great year, she could just feel it. Since Voldemort was gone there would be a lot more freedom than there had been. She couldn't wait to get back and see all of her friends.

Gin walked along the corridor until she found an empty compartment. She put her trunk away and settled down with her smaller bag. She pulled a book out and allowed herself to be sucked into the story. When the train jolted beneath her she put the book away and picked her bag up. She made her way down the swaying train to the Heads compartment. She had been elected Head Girl and was supposed to meet the Head Boy in this cabin. When she opened the door she couldn't help but let out a squeal. Collin was standing in there waiting for her. She jumped into his arms. It was so wonderful to know that he was all right. They had been best friends for about two years now and she had freaked out all summer because she hadn't heard from him.

"Hey, Gin." Collin beamed down at her. He gave her a quick squeeze and released her.

He looked so different than he had just the year before. He had grown tall. He didn't look like the annoying little boy that he used to be. "I was so worried about you Collin. Why didn't you write back to me over the summer?" She crossed her arms over her now rather voluptuous chest, and glared at him.

Collin let out a laugh. "You look so fierce right now." he chuckled. "All right. All right." he backed up slowly with his hands raised. "I'm sorry that I didn't write you back, but I was a little busy taking care of my little brother. Remember?" Gin stared at him.

"Oh goodness! I forgot. How is he?" she asked completely forgetting her frustration with him.

"He's engaged." At the look on Gin's face he continued. "I know. He's younger than us and he's engaged. How strange, but she's a great girl. I'm happy for him. And she's helping him. Needless to say that he couldn't come back to Hogwarts, but her mum is homeschooling her so that she can be with him."

Collin's little brother had ended up with amnesia after a powerful spell had hit him during the war, and he had no idea who he was anymore. Ginny had cried for days about it. "I'm happy to hear that he's all right now." She smiled warmly up at him.

"So how was your summer?" he asked her with a slight grin. "Anything change between you and Professor Potter that I need to know about?" Collin teased her relentlessly about her relationship with Harry.

For the rest of the ride they caught up on each other's lives. Apparently they had both missed a lot during the summer. Collin was seeing a girl named Pamela who was in Hufflepuff. Ginny was shocked to hear that he had finally met someone. When she used to ask him about his love life his teasing reply was always that he was waiting for her to get over Harry. Ginny was slightly saddened that now she would be like the third wheel with Collin and his girlfriend. It occurred to her that she was one of the only single people to go back to Hogwarts this year. She had to laugh about that seeing as she had gone through her fair share of boyfriends over the past couple of years. She was actually looking forward to being single this year though, as she told Collin, when he asked her about her love life.

They shared stories for the rest of the time making each other laugh. They both felt that it was just good to be going back to Hogwarts and that they were together again. This year was going to be FABULOUS! Ginny could just feel it.

* * *

After a while Ginny looked out the window and saw her first glimpse of Hogwarts coming around the bend. She smiled. Now she really felt as though she was going home. She nudged Collin and he looked out of the window with her. "Hogwarts." Ginny let the word escape her on a sigh. "I'm going to go back to my cabin to get changed." she told Collin before slipping out of the door and heading back down the train. 

Once she was back in her compartment she pulled her trunk down and changed into her Hogwarts uniform. She bent down to put on her socks when she felt as though she was being watched. She straightened quickly and turned. Draco grinned at the sight that greeted him. She had one sock on and was clutching the other in her right hand. Her bare foot tapped at the ground impatiently. Her long red curls swept across the bottom of her back and when she turned they had fallen over her chest. Her shirt was thrown on haphazardly and she had only buttoned two of the buttons, which was barely enough to cover anything. Her skirt was rather short since she had grown over the summer. Only one part of the shirt was tucked in and her tie hung loosely around her shoulders. She looked absolutely adorable.

Ginny was shocked. Draco Malfoy was standing outside of her cabin watching her. He gestured opening the door and she nodded. Draco quickly entered her cabin, then turned and pulled the blinds down. "More privacy for us." He explained at the bewilderment on Ginny's face. "I need to talk to you, Weasley. As you probably know I have been put in charge of the Heads this year. Therefore you and I will be spending much more time together. I have already had this discussion with Mr. Creevey who rudely informed me that if I so much as looked at you in the wrong way he was going to take me apart piece by piece with his bare hands."

A slow smile crossed Ginny's face as she pictured Collin saying anything like that. Yep. She could see it. She turned her attention back to Malfoy. "Well, then I guess you had better be on your best behavior. Don't you agree?" she smirked.

"I just wanted to get to know you. Seeing as we'll be spending a lot more time together I think that we should at least try to be on better terms." He sat down making himself comfortable.

Ginny figured that he wasn't leaving any time soon so she put her bare foot up on the seat opposite him and slipped on the sock that she had been holding the whole time. She pulled them both up to just below her knees as she waited for him to say something else. She turned and plopped down into the seat, grabbing her shoes and putting them on the floor in front of her. She bent over and started to put them on.

Draco lost his train of thought as he watched her. As she bent down he could see the very top of her breasts before her hair fell down to curtain her face and chest. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. He wondered why it had gotten so hot in the cabin all of a sudden. Draco slipped his finger into his collar and loosened it slightly so that he could breathe better. He cleared his throat again.

"What is it Malfoy? Do you have something in your throat?" Ginny asked sarcastically without looking up.

"No. Sorry. As I was saying, I think that we should try to get to know each other a little bit better, because of the circumstances. How about we go to Hogsmeade together in a couple of weeks. It'll be the first trip. We can get to know each other and you won't have to feel like the third wheel with Collin and his new girlfriend. I promise that if I make you uncomfortable at any point while we're there you can tell me to bugger off and I'll leave you alone. Deal?"

Ginny did look up now. "Did you ask Collin to go to Hogsmeade with you so that ya'll could get to know one another better?"

Draco looked at her oddly. "No. He isn't opening up to me all that much. I actually think that he'd like nothing more than to smother me in my sleep." Ginny giggled at that. Draco ignored her and continued. "I figured if you and I go then we can get to know each other. And, if I'm not a complete git, you can maybe convince Creevey not to kill me." Draco finished feebly. "Plus I think that we'll have fun together, you and I. Come on. Trust me on this one." He gave her his charming smirk.

"Professor." Ginny started as she buttoned her shirt the rest of the way.

"Draco" Malfoy corrected her.

Ginny looked at him pointedly. "As I was saying, Professor. You have been a complete prat to me since I came to Hogwarts. I know that you're supposedly trying to change your ways, and I think that you might actually be telling the truth about that. However, I don't really trust you. And just because I'm female don't think for one second that I'm going to swoon at your feet like all of the other girls just because you ask me to go to Hogsmeade. I'm not that easy. I mean that in both ways. I will go with you and try to get to know you better so that it will be a little more comfortable for the remainder of the year. However, I won't tell Collin anything unless I think that he needs to know it. You have to try to talk to Collin on your own. After you do talk to him, if he still feels like he wants to smother you in your sleep I won't stand in his way. Now, if that is all, Professor. I need to finish getting ready before we arrive. You know the way out I trust." Gin smirked at him before turning and packing her things away.

Draco stared at her back for a second before he turned and left. She had backbone. For the first time in seven years he realized that he had a thing for Ginny Weasley. He wasn't quite sure why. Sure she was beautiful, but he had had offers from plenty of beautiful women. It had to be the fact that she had never been afraid to tell him exactly what she thought exactly when she thought it. She wasn't worried about being politically correct or even about hurting his feelings. She was just honest, sometimes to the point of being rude, but all in all that's what he liked about her. She always stood up to him, no matter the situation. Even when she had been outnumbered in school she had still told him where to shove it. Oh yes. The trip to Hogsmeade was going to be very fun indeed.

Ginny sighed as she pulled on her blazer and tied the tie around her neck. Why had she agreed to go with him??? He was a complete git. Yet, for some reason that she wasn't sure of, she was actually looking forward to the trip. What was wrong with her? She finished packing her things again and headed into the crowded corridor ready to start her last year at Hogwarts.

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_A/N: OK guys. This is one of my older stories. It was posted on harrypotterfanfiction so if it looks familiar don't worry. I simply decided that since I am writing on here and haven't written on there for more than a year I should post it. It isn't finished yet but I have quite a few more chapters already written. So... if you liked it let me know by reviewing. If you didn't like it leave me a message to tell me why. I take constructive criticism really well. Just remember **no flames!** The sooner you all review the sooner I will update it so click the little button. (You know which one.) Can't wait to here from ya'll. Bria_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 The Feast**_

Ginny and Collin settled in at the Gryffindor table. Ginny looked around the Great Hall. So much was different yet so much was the same. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face when she looked at the staff table. Hermione was sitting dead center looking very proper and perfect for the job. Ron sat on her right with Harry next to him. The two of them were chatting away about only God knew what. On Hermione's left was Neville and next to him was none other than Draco Malfoy. Ginny was stunned that the two were talking as though they were old friends. Hermione would jump into either of the conversations if the mood struck. Sure enough not two minutes later she looked to be yelling at Ron and Harry for something that they had said. Other than those few the teachers were the same. Hagrid was sitting next to Harry and he looked like he was trying not to laugh while he watched Hermione scold the boys. Trelawney was sitting at the end of the table looking rather annoyed as 'the centaur', as she called him, talked to her. Even Filch was still there. He was standing in the back, with Mrs. Norris sitting at his feet, looking rather stern.

Ginny turned when Collin said something to her and she joined the conversation with her friends. She had missed them all terribly and it turned out to be the same for them. She even got to meet Pamela part way through the feast when she came over to talk to Collin for a bit. Ginny smiled as she watched them. They seemed to be good together. She couldn't have been happier for Collin.

Harry watched Ginny from the staff table. He wished that he could take back what he had said to her at the beginning of the summer, but as he watched her with Collin he realized that he was probably too late now anyways. She seemed happy and that was all that he wanted. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he confessed that he still loved her and it just caused her pain. She deserved a normal life and he just couldn't give her that, so he would just watch her from far away. If this was all that he could have then he would make do with it. Just as he thought this she looked directly at him and smiled. He smiled back. She was so beautiful and innocent. He knew that he was doing the right thing even though it was tearing him apart. She returned to her conversation and he tuned in to what Ron and Hermione were talking about. When he realized that it was wedding plans he started a conversation with Hagrid.

Harry was not the only one watching the beautiful Ginny Weasley though. Draco hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her since she had walked into the Great Hall. Thankfully she hadn't caught him staring yet. He watched her throw her head back and laugh at something that Creevey had said and suddenly he wished that he was the one who was making her laugh like that. He had an urge to go down there and break Creevey's face when he ran his hand through Ginny's hair. He knew that they were just friends and that Creevey had a girlfriend, but he couldn't help the jealousy that was curling inside of him. This was just ridiculous! He had to stop thinking about Ginny Weasley before he did something stupid. He turned to Neville and jumped into the conversation that he and Hermione were now having. Unfortunately their conversation was about Gin. They were reminiscing about the Yule Ball and how Neville had gone with Ginny. Neville was asking Hermione if Ginny was still single and if she thought that he had a chance.

"Well," Hermione started. "She is single." At this Draco's ears perked up. "After what happened between her and Harry last year she hasn't wanted to see anyone. She told me over the summer that she just wanted to take a year off. No boys whatsoever. Those were her words. I think that she may change her mind, but honestly I think that she and Harry are still in love with each other and that they're both just too stubborn to admit it. I mean, you could have a chance Neville, but right now I think she just needs a friend. Someone who will listen to her and comfort her. Sorry, Nev." Hermione looked at Gin with a sigh before turning back to Harry and Ron, who were in the middle of a heated debate, obvious by the fact that Ron was about to spit his treacle tart everywhere.

So, Ginny was single. Draco had to wonder if anyone stood a chance against Potter in her heart. Hermione had said that she didn't want a relationship. Well, if she just wanted a friend right now, then he would just have to be the friend that she needed. Maybe if they became good enough friends she would see him in a different light and she would forget all about Potter.

Little did Draco know that he was going to have some competition. Almost every guy in the Great Hall had their sights set on Ginny Weasley as soon as she walked in and took her seat. If he really wanted her he was going to have to fight with more than her memories of Harry Potter.

Just then Hermione stood up and the conversations ground to a halt. "To our new students welcome. To our older students welcome back. As most of you know there have been some changes at Hogwarts since last year. I am Headmistress Granger and I will be taking over for Professor Mcgonagall this year. I would like to introduce you all to your new Professors in case you do not already know them. Professor Malfoy will be your new Potions Master. I expect you all to treat him with the same respect that you would any of your other teachers." Draco stood and nodded to the crowded hall. "Professor Longbottom." Neville stood. "Will be teaching you all the art of Herbology." Neville grinned before taking his seat next to Draco again. "Coach Weasley will be in charge of Quidditch this year. I'm sure that you will all enjoy his methods of teaching." Ron stood up and waved before sitting again. "And lastly, Professor Potter will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Respect him. He will teach you many things that you may find useful in the future." Harry smiled and bowed. He quickly reclaimed his seat. Hermione continued. "I am happy to inform you all that the new Head Boy is Collin Creevey and Head Girl is Ginny Weasley. I hope that you will all give them your respect and attention when they ask it of you. They are here to help you should you need it." Thunderous applause filled the hall at this announcement. Collin nudged Gin in the ribs as she ducked her head down and blushed. Hermione raised her hands for silence in the hall. "Also Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that any product made by the Weasley twins is forbidden and if you are caught with anything made by them it will be confiscated and you will serve a detention with him. Your schedules will be handed out at breakfast tomorrow. For now we all need our rest so if you will please follow your house prefects I will bid you goodnight." She sat and smiled as she watched all of the prefects stand and lead their houses back to the dormitories. She wished that she was still in that crowd pushing back to their house dormitories. Things seemed so much easier back then, but at least the worst was over. Now they just had to rebuild.

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_A/N: OK everyone. Here is the second chapter. I do hope that you all enjoyed it. Not much happened here, but I would still like to hear from you all. If you liked it... tell me. If you didn't... tell me why. Remember, as always, I accept constructive criticism but I can't stand flames. If you have suggestions, or something that you would like to happen in the story then feel free to let me know. I'll take everything into consideration. I can't promise that your ideas will be used since my characters have a mind of their own, but I will try to use as many as I can. Basically, I just wanna hear from you and find out what the feedback is. After all if I don't know what you think I can't get any better. Til next time... Bria

* * *

Katie-- I am glad that you are enjoying this so far. _

evil.leprechaun.7-- I'm glad that you like it. However, I will warn you that there will be some depressing parts... Not many though. The war did just end and, logically, not everyone could survive and there is no possible way that there wouldn't be some repercussions. Mostly the story will be a fun one though. Please don't quit reading. I honestly think that you will enjoy the way the story is going to go.

harrypotterchickever-- Thanks for the review. I love stories like that too. It was the only thing that I could think of to keep all of them in the story and let it work out right. I mean I couldn't exactly have Draco and Harry coming up to visit Hogwarts all the time now could I? lol. NEWayz... Hope you stick with me.

cuitek-- Thanks for the compliment. As you can see Professor Potter is in this chapter but he won't have a big part for a few more chapters. I promise you'll see more of him though.

_Dracoginnylover24-- Thanks for leaving a review and for the luck. I can always use some good luck. lol_

_Londontownee-- I'm really glad that you liked it. Just to clear something up... I don't have_ _**all** of the story written but I do have about seven or eight chapters done. I lost track of this story for a while but I found it on one of my older drives and decided that it was definitely time to post it on here. ---- I never really just jump into a story. I always like to give at least a little background in the first couple of chapters so that everyone can follow it. If you haven't read any of my other stories I'd love for you to read them and tell me what you think. NEWayz... Glad you like this and I promise to try and update quickly. _

_Jennicula-- I'm glad that you are enjoying it so far. I already have a few more chapters written on this and I promise not to stop writing it. Ginny/Draco is one of my favorite ships as well. Hope to hear from you again soon. _

_Gella-- Thanks for the review and I promise to keep writing and updating as often as possible. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3 Head Boy and Head Girl Quarters**_

Ginny and Collin stayed behind and waited for Granger to tell them their duties. Hermione came towards them and they stood quickly. "It's all right guys." Hermione waved the formalities away. "As you know you are to be the new Heads. I have placed Professor Malfoy in charge of your keeping. If you have any questions about your duties he will answer them for you. I hope that you three will get along and show me that the choice I have made is the right one." At this she looked Ginny in the eyes. Ginny and Collin both nodded their understanding. "Good. Now that that has been settled I will leave Professor Malfoy to show you to your rooms. Goodnight." She walked away and Malfoy walked over.

"Follow me." Malfoy strode from the hall. He led them to the third floor. They had changed the rooms. The room where they had kept the Sorcerers Stone in Harry's first year had been transformed into dormitories for the Heads. The deep cavern was a beautiful sitting room with two doors leading off to their respective rooms. "Ms. Weasley your room will be to the right. Mr. Creevey to the left. The kitchen and dining area are back down the hall along with Mr. Creeveys dark room and Ms. Weasleys study room. The first room on the left is the room where you will hold the meetings with the other prefects and where you all will arrange any and all events that you will be put in charge of. The password for the door leading here is Snitch. The teachers and the two of you are the only people who know the password. We ask that you keep it that way. If you would like to have guests that is fine as long as the password is kept from them. You may each set the passwords for your own individual bedchambers which only you and those of your choosing will know. The bathroom is off the hall to the right. Enjoy yourselves and goodnight." Malfoy bowed slightly and walked back down the hall and out of the door.

Ginny and Collin explored their new living quarters. It was decorated in black and gold which they both agreed looked good. The bathroom was enormous holding two showers, two lavatories, and a bath the size of the lake on the grounds. They had both been given their own sinks with enough counter space to make a grade a model happy. All of their things were in the perfect place and the over all effect was lovely.

Collin went off to explore his dark room and Ginny went to find out exactly what Malfoy had meant by 'study room'. As she opened the door a gasp escaped her. Her art work had been set up. Her paintings hung from the walls along with photographs that she had taken since Collin had taught her how to use a camera. She walked around looking at all of them. Most were of Harry, Ron, and Mione, but there were pictures of Harry, Ron, and her practicing Quidditch over the summer. She smiled at the memories. She stopped in front of a painting of Harry sitting outside of the Burrow watching the sun set. That was when they were together for a short while. He had agreed to let her paint him and she had made him sit in the same position for hours with him grumbling all the while.

Her easel was set in front of one of the windows with a fresh canvas on it and her paints set out on a shelf nearby. In front of the other window was a desk. The right side of the desk contained her sketches and materials and the let side contained her laptop and reference books. There was a small door to the left of the desk that opened into her own little dark room. Shelves lined most of the walls in her room and they were all covered in the books that had inspired her, her sketch pencils, her pastels, her extra paints, fresh canvases, paintbrushes, and one bookshelf was dedicated to nothing but music. She wandered closer and began to flip through the Cd's that were filed away neatly. She was shocked. No one knew that she listened to muggle music except Harry, and he wouldn't do anything like this for her. Would he? She looked through all of the titles with an enormous smile on her face. Three Days Grace, Edwin McCain, Godsmack, Metallica, Ataris, Eminem, Kid Rock, Story of The Year, Sister Hazel, Sum 41, Switchfoot, The Sex Pistols, Dashboard Confessionals, Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence, Toby Keith, Train, Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, Working Title, Vertical Horizon, Papa Roach, Ryan Cabrera, Sevendust, and albums from muggle movies that she had loved. She couldn't believe it.

She pulled the Ataris CD off of the shelf and slipped it into the CD player. As the music flowed out and surrounded her she felt like she was at peace. That was when she saw the letter. She picked it up and walked to the stool that was set up next to her easel. She opened it hastily and read:

_Dearest Ginny,  
I wanted to welcome you back to Hogwarts in a really special way. I remembered that you like to listen to muggle music while you write, paint, or sketch so... I hope that you like my selections. There should be a few in there that you haven't heard yet, but I think that you'll like them. Enjoy and welcome back.  
Love From,  
Harry_

Ginny smiled as she folded the letter back up. Harry had done this for her. How sweet was that! Ginny's heart jumped. Maybe he still had feelings for her. No. Ginny shook her head. He had said that it was all over and he just wanted to be friends. This was just a show of friendship. She smiled and tucked the letter into her bag. That was when she noticed another letter sitting on her easel. She opened it slowly.

_Hey lil sis!  
Hermione and I hope that you like what we've done with the place. Harry wouldn't let us in there for the last two weeks because he said that he wanted to do something for you on his own. Hope he didn't screw it up. Anyways Welcome Back!!!! Hope you have a great year, I know I will. See you at Quidditch.  
Your Big Brother,  
Ron  
P.S. Hermione says 'hi' and she loves you._

Ginny smiled as she put this letter in her bag along with the one from Harry. She walked out of the room and at the last second turned to the door. She leaned down and whispered, "Can I set a password to this door?" The doorknob yawned and blinked up at her. "Of course, if you want to." Ginny smiled "All right please set the password to 'Secrets'. Thanks." The doorknob went back to sleep and she went to the kitchen to fix herself some hot chocolate. She carried it into the sitting room and sank into the armchair to stare at the fire. After a while Collin walked in and sat in the armchair next to hers. They sat there together watching the fire for a while.

Collin turned to Ginny "So have you checked out your room yet?"

Ginny looked up. "No. I knew I was forgetting something. Be right back." She set her mug down on the coffee table and walked off to her room. The sight that greeted her was stunning. Her bedroom was done completely in jewel tones. It looked like an Indian princess lived here. The bed was enormous covered in dark maroon, with throw pillows in emerald, sapphire, gold, and other colors thrown haphazardly everywhere. The canopy was a thin gold silk that you could see right through. All of the wood was done in cherry and the floors were covered in throw rugs. Instead of armchairs by the fire there were enormous pillows around a Japanese coffee table. She loved it. The fireplace was was dark brick and taller than she was. The ceiling was enchanted just like the ceiling in the Great Hall. She changed into a pair of sleep pants that hung low on her hips and a spaghetti strap tank top, both done in dark emerald silk. She sighed and pulled her hair out of the ponytail that it had been in. She slipped her feet into matching slippers and grabbed a gold silk robe. She walked back into the sitting room and whispered her password to the door. "Genie"

She and Collin exchanged the passwords to their rooms in case of an emergency then they sat up in front of the fire talking into the early hours of the morning. When they realized that it was well past one they said their good nights and turned in.

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_Sorry that this chapter was so short and that it took me so long to update. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks Bria_

_harrypotterchick4ever-- Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far. Hope you stick with me to the end of this._

_Dracoginnylover24-- I kind of agree with you on the Ginny/ Neville thing. I never really could see them as a couple, but I can handle it if they aren't the main couple of the story. Like if it's a Hermione/ Harry or Hermione/ Draco then I'm alright with it. NEwayz... thanks for the review and the luck. lol. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 Comfort In The Strangest Place**_

Ginny and Collin woke up early and headed down to breakfast at eight o'clock. They sat there talking until there head of house, Professor Potter, handed out their schedules. Ginny looked over hers and had to double check. She turned to Collin still clutching her schedule in her hands. "Collin, can I see your schedule?" He gave her a funny look and handed it over. Ginny kept muttering to herself about how it wasn't possible.

"What's not possible?" Collin asked her worriedly.

Ginny stopped comparing the schedules. "I have Mondays off." she said softly. "What?!" Collin asked grabbing her schedule from her. "Wow! I guess that you completed more last year than you thought, lucky girl." Ginny stared at him. "But, Collin, what am I going to do all day?" she whined looking a little lost. "Have fun?" Collin suggested as he watched her. He was looking at her as though she had grown a second head and was going to eat him. "But everyone will be in classes besides me. "

Collin told her to wait and got up and walked around the tables talking to people. When he came back he sat down with a sigh. "You're right. No one else has Mondays off, but no one has DADA after lunch in any of the years, and nobody has Potions until lunch in any of the years either. So you could always wait until after lunch and hang out with Harry for the rest of the day." Ginny grinned at him. "Thanks Collin. That's a great idea. I haven't had a chance to talk to Harry since the summer." She hugged him around the neck.

They both settled back into the conversation and continued eating. Halfway through the meal something dawned on Ginny. No one had potions until lunch. Draco would be free all morning. She should have known. There was no way that it could be as good as it seemed, and she couldn't avoid Draco since he was not only her Potions Master, but also in charge of the Heads and he had the password to their dorms. Damn!! The only two rooms that he couldn't get into were her bedroom, if Collin hadn't told him the password, and her art room that even Collin didn't know the password for. She guessed that the only thing to do after her walk around the grounds was to go up to the third floor and lock herself in her art room.

When breakfast ended everyone headed for their classes. Ginny walked Collin to Herbology and hugged him before leaving to walk around the grounds and see what all had changed. Really she was just looking for a place to sketch in peace. She walked over to her willow, as she called it. She and Harry used to spend their time off sitting underneath this willow tree just talking and watching the giant squid. She smiled when the squid popped one of his tentacles out of the water and waved it. Ginny waved back and smiled while she reached into her pocket and pulled out a little baggy of bacon and bits of toast. Ginny sat there for about half an hour feeding the squid. At the end he set his head just out of the water and let her pet him. She told him that she would be back the next morning, and patted him on his head one more time.

Gin pushed herself off of the ground, grabbed her bag and continued her walk around the grounds. She passed Hagrid teaching a lesson and waved at him. Half way around the lake she found what she was looking for. She walked through the gate into the graveyard and latched it back behind her. She headed straight to the middle where Dumbledore's tomb stood. Next to Dumbledore was Professor Sprout, Professor Snape, and Madam Hooch. Ginny touched all of their graves sending little sparks up for all of them. She walked farther down the row and stopped facing one of the tombs. She read the engraving again.

_**Charles Edmund Weasley  
1979 - 2004  
A great friend and an  
even better man. We will  
miss you.**_

Ginny sat down next to her brothers grave. She opened the bag that she was carrying and took out a photograph, and a bouquet of flowers. She placed the picture on the ground and leaned the flowers against them. "Hey Charlie. It's me, Ginny. See I told you that I'd come and see you." She let out a watery laugh. "I've been thinking about that time that you took me to see my first dragon. Remember? I was so excited and when we got there I started crying so hard that you had to carry me because I couldn't walk. And then on top of it all, just as we were about to leave I started crying again because I wanted to see the dragon. I looked at it that time, Charlie. Remember? You were so proud that you bought me that little stuffed dragon that I carry everywhere with me. Do you remember what I called him? I was so embarrassed when I came to school. You all used to tease me so badly but you never told anyone else. Draco says hello by the way. I still can't believe that I named that poor little stuffed dragon Draco!" She went into a fit of giggles. "You remember Ron came back from his first year here and tried to burn him? That was hilarious!

"I wish you could see Ron now, Charlie. He and Hermione are going to get married just like you always said they would. They're so cute together that it almost makes me sick." She giggled again. "Harry and I didn't get back together, Charlie, and I don't think that we're going to. Don't think badly of him though okay? He was right we are better off as just friends. It still hurts a little sometimes, but I'm getting over it. Sometimes I just wish that I could have what Bill has with Fleur or mum and dad have or even what Ron and Hermione have. You know? I just want to know what it feels like to love someone like that and have them love you back. I really wish that you were here to tell me what to do. You were right about that too though I am stronger than I thought I was. At least I hope I am. I miss you so much that it actually hurts. I just wish that I could talk to you one more time and say goodbye properly. We don't always get what we want though do we? I just wish that I knew what to do!" Ginny laid her head on her knees and wept.

* * *

Draco followed Ginny on her walk. He was amazed! The squid had never let anyone pet it besides Dumbledore. She had a far off look in her eyes and he knew that she was thinking about what had happened with Harry. After a while she pushed herself up and kept walking. He watched her smile and wave at Hagrid. Her next stop made him falter, but he followed her into the graveyard. 

He watched her hand as she trailed it over each of the graves, even Snape's. A lot of people would have avoided his grave but not Ginny. She just wasn't like that. Then she stopped and sat next to one of the graves. He watched her pull out a picture of her family, Hermione, and Harry and set it in front of the grave along with a bouquet of roses that were enchanted to never die. He listened to her talk to her oldest brother and felt like his heart would tear in two. He laughed with her about her story about the dragon especially the part where Ron tried to burn it cause it had his name. When she began to talk about Harry he started to leave until he heard the tears in her voice. "I just want to know what it feels like to love someone like that and have them love you back." He turned back and stared at her as a tear rolled down her cheek. She was so lost and alone and all anyone saw was the beautiful, happy, funny, Ginny Weasley. He wondered if anyone even tried to dig deeper. When she spoke about her pain and how much she missed him he felt a sudden loneliness wash over him and he longed to talk to his parents again.

He watched her pull her knees into her chest and drop her head to them and start to weep. Watching her crumble this way broke his heart. She really was just human like everyone else.

Draco walked to where she was sitting. He knelt down next to her. Ginny lifted her head and watched him as he sat next to her. He ran his hand over her hair and she began to cry even harder. He tugged on her shoulder a little and she leaned into him weeping into his chest. She hadn't let herself cry since Charlie died. Now here she was and the one person that she never thought would care was the one person who did. It amazed her how life could tip the scales on you so quickly. Here Draco was running his hands through her hair and whispering comforting words just like Charlie would have had he been here. Ginny let everything that she had been holding in flow out of her. She clutched at his shirt and cried all of it away. He simply kept running his hands through her hair and rocking her. When she had cried herself dry Draco picked her up and grabbed her bag and carried her back to the castle. He made his way up to the third floor and said the password. He carried her all the way down the hall and laid her on the couch. When he knew that she was okay he went to the kitchen and fixed her something to drink.

Draco walked out carrying a glass of ice water to find that she wasn't on the couch. Her bedroom door was standing open. He walked to the doorway and knocked. Then he saw her. She had changed into her pajamas and was laying right in the middle of the bed holding a little stuffed dragon that he could only assume was Draco. He walked over to her and set the water on her night stand. He sat on the edge of the bed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "You okay now?"

Ginny nodded quietly. She looked up at him with still wet eyes. The tears were clinging to her eyelashes and they had left streaks on both of her cheeks. She looked so sad and little. He sat next to her and propped himself up against the headboard. She sat next to him and laid her tear stained cheek on his shoulder. "So... Is this little Draco?" he asked her with a laugh in his voice.

Ginny giggled "Yes, it is, and I must say he's much more handsome." She looked up at him with a teasing grin on her face. He tweaked her nose. "Ha! Ha! Very funny." When she kept grinning he started to tickle her. After ten minutes she got him pinned and found out that he was just as ticklish as she was, maybe even more so. Draco tried to buck her off so hard that they actually fell off of the bed. Draco spun at the last second to cushion her fall. They stayed that way for a while and just laughed at each other. After they had calmed down they noticed where they were. Ginny was laying on top of Draco on her bedroom floor and his hands were firmly on her waist while hers were on his chest. They both stopped laughing and just stared into each other's eyes. Ginny swallowed and slowly lifted herself off of him without breaking eye contact. She held her hand out to him and he took it. She helped him to his feet and they didn't move. They stood there, inches apart, holding hands, and staring into each other's eyes.

Ginny was the one that broke the silence. "Draco?" He cocked his head slightly to the side. "Can I have my hand back?" And with that the spell was broken. Draco looked down at their hands intertwined and slowly let go. He cleared his throat. "Let's go do something. Come on. Get dressed. Let's go." He headed out of her bedroom. He turned just before he left. "If you're not out here in twenty minutes I'm gonna break down the door and carry you out whether you're dressed or not." He smiled at her and she found herself grinning back.

Ginny quickly ran around the room pulling off articles of clothing to replace them. She sat on the bed and put on her shoes slowly. She stood and took a deep breath as she headed into the sitting room. However, Draco was not there. She ventured down the hall and found him in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, and staring out the window. She stood there for a moment just looking at him. The past hour or so had made her see him in an entirely different light. She noticed for the first time just how handsome he really was. His hair had turned a dark gold color and his face had become more pronounced. He was taller than she had realized. At her five foot five inches she had to look up to most people but he must have been close to a foot taller than she was. His eyes were no longer an icy grey but had softened and reminded her of the sky right before a storm. In the black slacks and sweater he looked relaxed yet regal at the same time. He really had changed.

Draco realized that someone was watching him and turned ready to take an onslaught from Creevey, but the sight that greeted him was much more welcome. Ginny was standing in the doorway. She was wearing a black long sleeve shirt that clung to her and her hair fell over her left shoulder. The jeans that she was wearing fit her like a glove and looked absolutely marvelous. She was wearing black boots that the ends of her jeans were tucked into. She smiled at him.

"So... What do you want to do today, Professor?" She grinned as he shook his head trying to clear it.

"Well, I figured that we could go flying for a bit." He held up his broom. Ginny grinned and summoned her own.

"Let's go." Was all that she said before heading out the door. She walked straight out the doors before looking at Draco again.

Draco caught her look and had to ask. "Why do you insist on calling me Professor when I've asked you repeatedly to call me Draco?"

Ginny smirked. "It's just weird to call you Draco after everything that we've been through over the years. Don't you think?" She cocked her head to the side and then plowed on not giving him time to answer properly. "And anyways, I always called you Malfoy or Ferret Boy. Since we've sort of started a friendship it wouldn't be right to call you either of those. See? So it has to be Professor." She grinned.

"I see your reasoning but it makes me feel so old. I know that you despised me so for the longest time. Whenever you heard the name Draco you probably wanted to hit something unless it was in reference to that adorable stuffed dragon that you sleep with. You can't call me Malfoy cause you get mad just saying that name. And Ferret Boy is completely uncalled for. I mean, that happened forever ago. You Gryffindors are like elephants. You never forget." He stalled as Ginny giggled. "How about you give me a nickname. And I don't mean something embarrassing or mushy or just plain stupid. Like Mione. That's what you call Hermione Granger right? Something like that. Or Ron for Ronald. Or Nev for Neville. Just something simple that I won't be horribly embarrassed to answer to."

Ginny stopped and thought about it. "Well, I used to have this friend, her mouth was the same shape as yours. We called her 'lips'." Ginny lifted her eyebrows at him.

"One..." Draco held up a finger. "You going around calling me 'lips' might give the wrong impression to quite a few people." He watched her face as she realized how it would sound. "And two..." He held up a second finger. "When did you study my lips long enough to know the exact shape of them?" He smirked as he watched her blush and start to walk away quickly. He started to follow her. "Dammit, Gin, quit walking away from me. I feel like a damn fool chasing after you." She came to a halt and looked at him. "You still haven't come up with a solution to our problem." He reminded her.

"OH! Fine!" Gin threw her hands up in exasperation. "Let me think." She looked him over and looked to be in deep thought.

Draco couldn't help himself. "I'd prefer it if you didn't look me over while you think of one. You might come up with another 'lips' thing." He chuckled as her blush rose higher. "Ginny, you're redder than some of the apples I've seen. Calm down. I was just picking."

Ginny glared at him. "How about selfish, idiotic, spoiled, slimy, loathsome, self- centered, the world revolves around me, stuck up, bloody, git!" Ginny ranted at him. With every word she shoved her finger into his chest and shoved him backwards an inch. "Does that work for you?"

Draco looked at her sheepishly. "Actually no. I resent the 'idiotic' remark as I was second in my year, and I don't think that the world revolves around me though I wish it did. I haven't been spoiled in two years. I most certainly am not selfish or stuck up. The rest of that is your opinion so I can't say if it's true or not for you. But I can tell you that I have tried to be nothing but nice to you since I saw you again. Plus I don't think that you could remember all of that. I was thinking something simpler. While you think about it, Princess, I'm going for a fly."

Draco mounted his broom and flew into the air. Ginny quickly followed suit. Draco saw her from the corner of his eye as she sped past him. They raced around the Quidditch pitch for an hour before landing. Ginny had beaten him by two lengths though he claimed that it was unfair seeing as she had winked at him and it had distracted him.

They walked around the grounds to cool off and stretch. Ginny gloated the whole time.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" He asked her incredulously.

Ginny grinned at him over her shoulder. "Hm-mm..." She put her index finger on her chin as though she was thinking about it. "Nope. Sorry. Nope." She laughed and ran back to the castle with Draco on her heels. Once they reached her dormitory they stopped. "Ha! I won again. Face it. I'm just in better shape than you are, Professor." She bent down to grin in his face.

Draco slowly straightened. "Don't tempt me Gin." Was all he said as he stalked towards her. She laughed and ran down the hall into the sitting room. Draco chased her around the couch but soon grew tired and jumped it. He caught her around the waist and carried her to the couch so that he could sit and catch his breath. He sat her on his lap. "Ginny Weasley, you are a handful." They both laughed at that.

Suddenly Draco turned to her. "Gin, go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked.

"I've already agreed to go with you. Why are you asking me again?"

"No. Not as a teacher getting to know his student better. Like people used to when they were in school."

"You want to go as friends now?"

Draco gave an exasperated sigh. "No, Gin. I'm asking if you'd go on a date with me to Hogsmeade. I know it sounds insane, but I really like you. I've tried to fight it or turn it into a friendship, but it's more than that. You are the most intelligent, fun, down to earth, real girl that I've ever met."

"You forgot beautiful." Ginny stated matter of factly. "Now you're supposed to tell me how beautiful I am. You forgot beautiful."

"No I didn't. I mean you are beautiful but that's not why I feel this way about you. I think seeing you in the graveyard cinched the deal. You didn't try to be beautiful while you cried, you weren't overly dramatic, or anything like that. You just cried. To know that someone like you, who seems so perfect to everyone, can be as lonely as I am is comforting in a way. Maybe we can help each other with that. I want to give it a shot. It might be worth it."

Ginny stared into his eyes. "All right." She agreed hesitantly. Draco shot off of the couch.

"Good. I have to go. Lunch starts soon and I have to change into my robes. I have to be there early. Okay. I'll see you this weekend."

* * *

_A/N: I'm so sorry that it took this long to update. I know that I am a terrible author but I promise to make it up to you all. _

_Jennicula--- I'm glad that you like it so far and seeing as it took me this long to update I think it's fair that we ignore you not reviewing for chapter 2. lol. Hope you stick with me. I promise another update tomorrow. _

_Jamie Lynn Potter-- I'm glad you enjoy this. Please stick with me. _

_Dracoginnylover24-- Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. Thank you for the luck yet again. Hope you enjoy this chapter._

_MascaraSmudge--- For a first time reader I am sure that I have made a terrible impression on you. I promise that I am not usually this bad about updating. I just had a lot going on lately. I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy the story._

_Writerofdarkness6-- So sorry for the long wait. If you've stuck with me then I promise that I will make it up to you._

_hecate0808-- Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you stick with me and that you enjoy this chapter._

_Okay guys I promise to make it up to all of you. I will post another chapter tomorrow and try to post yet another on Saturday though I cannot proomise. I will try to continue updating at least once a week from now on. Please forgive me guys! Bria/gemini69_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5 Talking With Old Friends**_

Ginny waited for Collin in their common room and they headed down to lunch together. He asked her what she had done for the day and she told him that she had taken his advice and just had fun but refused to tell him anything more than that. He badgered her the whole way to the Great Hall. When they got there he smirked at her. "Fine. Just try and keep your secrets. I dare you."

Ginny laughed at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. I will." She started walking to their normal seats and laughed when Collin let out a frustrated growl.

Collin spent most of lunch telling Ginny how cool his DADA class had been and trying to get her to tell him about her day in return. She refused to budge on the subject and by the end of lunch he had given up.

Harry watched as Ginny laughed with Collin and felt the jealousy rising for the second time that day. He had no right to be jealous he knew that, but he just couldn't seem to help it. He still had a strong protective instinct when it concerned Gin. He didn't know what to do. He had tried to convince himself that he was right about his decision and that they were better just as friends but he couldn't seem to make himself believe it. He had thought about her all day, wondering what she was doing. It was a good thing that he hadn't a clue or he might have challenged Malfoy to a duel in front of the entire school.

Harry was not the only person watching Ginny Weasley. Draco had not been able to take his eyes off of the stunning red head since she had entered the hall with Creevey. He didn't think that the weekend could come fast enough. She was entrancing. It was near impossible for him to even answer the questions that Neville had asked him throughout the meal. His stomach was in knots and he felt as though absolutely nothing could go wrong.

Gin glanced up at the table and smiled at Harry when she caught his eye. Harry smiled back before turning and continuing his argument with Ron about Quidditch.

Draco watched Gin smile at someone sitting at the staff's table. He followed her train of sight and saw Harry smiling back at her. All of a sudden his happy little bubble imploded. Potter! Why did he always have to want the same things that Potter did? She couldn't possibly have any feelings for him though or she wouldn't have agreed to go on a date with him on Saturday. He knew that Ginny was not the type of girl to string a guy along if she liked someone else. If she wanted something she went after it until she made it hers. He knew that. So why was he so mad that she had smiled at Harry sodding Potter? He couldn't find the answer to that question, but he promised himself that he would.

When lunch had ended Ginny waited at the Gryffindor table for Harry to leave. She got up as he was walking down the aisle and smiled at him. "Hey, Harry."

"Hey, Gin. What's up?"

Ginny shook her head. "Nothing really. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me." At Harry's bewildered look she elaborated. "The music. I love it. Thanks."

Harry grinned and nodded. "You're welcome. Shouldn't you be getting to class though?" He looked around o make sure that everyone else was gone.

Ginny shook her head. "Nope. I don't have classes on Monday. Since I know that you don't have any classes left to teach I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me." She was fidgeting with her hands and staring at her feet.

Harry had always loved it when she got shy around him suddenly. She always looked cute to him when she blushed. "Yeah. I'd like that." He held out his hand and she placed her's in it, amazed at how well they fit together. He lifted their joined hands. "So... What did you have in mind?"

In the end they agreed to go explore the old Shrieking Shack and see if it was still standing at all. As they walked through the house Harry told her of everything that had happened there. About how it used to be a safe haven for Lupin, and how his dad, and Sirius had gone there in their animal forms to keep Lupin company. She had never known that and all of a sudden the old, broken down building had more meaning to her. She had always wished that she could have met Lily and James. She just knew that they would have been proud of Harry. She watched his face as he took her through the rooms one by one. It must hurt him terrible to have never known them. Everyone who had ever loved him had been taken from him. First his parents, then Sirius, and Dumbledore. She hoped that he knew that she was still there and always would be, should he need her.

When they reached the top floor he told her of the first time that he met Sirius. He even told her about how he and Hermione had been the one's to rescue him from the dementor's kiss. He had never told anyone that before and it felt awfully good to get it off of his chest finally. She stopped and stared at him. "It must've been so hard for you. You thought that he had betrayed your parents and then you find out that he didn't. You catch the man responsible and you're offered a new and loving home and then at the last second it's all ripped away from you. I'm so sorry. I wish I had been there to share the pain with you." Ginny squeezed the hand that she still held tightly in her's.

Harry lifted her hand and kissed it. "Thank you, but it was something that I needed to face on my own. If I hadn't then I wouldn't have known whether or not I was strong enough. I needed to know that I was strong enough. Do you understand?" When she nodded at him he smiled. "Of course you do. You've always understood me. Even when no one else did. Other than that... I wish you could have been there too. I needed someone to lean on afterwards and you're the only person who actually understood it all."

Ginny smiled at him. "I still do. I'll always understand... I think. You and I have a connection that we've built over the years and that is what makes our friendship so strong. We have a bond that no one can break. I'll always get it and I'll always be here if you need someone to lean on when it's all said and done. I'm not going anywhere."

Harry smiled down at her gratefully. He squeezed her hand. "Where to now?" He asked excitedly.

"Let's go visit Dobby." She looked up at him and his eyes got round.

"All right but if he tries to 'save me' again then I place the blame squarely on your shoulders. Understood?"

When she nodded he laughed. He couldn't help it. They stood there laughing together for a few minutes before they got hold of themselves and headed back towards the castle to see their old friend. They ended up having tea in the kitchens with Dobby because he insisted on it.

After Dobby finally let them leave they headed up to her dormitories. They sat in her art room and chatted about everything that they had done over the summer. She showed him some of her newer paintings and asked if she could do another one of him. "I don't know Gin. I mean... Would I have to sit still for twelve hours again or could we do it over like a week?"

Ginny chuckled remembering the way that he groaned about the crick in his neck for days afterwards. "Well, since you're a Professor now and I have classes, it would have to be spread out over time." When he gave a thankful sigh of relief she laughed even harder. "How about we get together every Monday after lunch and work on it for a couple of hours?" She suggested with a plea in her voice.

"Oh all right. I hate it when you use that voice and those big puppy dog eyes against me." He poked her in the ribs making her laugh and after that was settled they sat there listening to muggle music and reminiscing about their past. When dinner came around they were both giggling as they headed down. They agreed to meet the following Monday and start on the painting.

Ginny walked into the Great Hall with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. She couldn't believe that she and Harry had spent most of the day together. Her stomach felt like there was an elephant moving around inside of it. What happened to good old fashioned butterfly flutters? She had elephants.

That night she told Collin all about what had happened. He smiled at her and told her that he was happy for her. When she asked him what to do he told her to just act the same way that she always did around him. He said that she was charming enough on her own and that eventually Harry would see the error of his ways and would want her back. That was when she decided to confide in him.

"Well, actually, there may be another prospect." She told him rather hesitantly.

Collin quickly straightened and leaned towards her. "Is it someone I know?"

"Well... actually yeah." Ginny said to her lap, refusing to look into Collin's eyes.

"Well??" Collin's eyes shone with anticipation.

"Itsproffessormalfoy." She said as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry? I thought you said that it was Professor Malfoy."

Ginny looked up at him unsure. She bit her bottom lip and simply nodded.

Collin jumped up. "What are you thinking, Ginevra?! I mean this is Malfoy we're talking about! The prat who always made fun of you before and was just cruel to any non-purebloods or non-Slytherins! Think here, Gin! Do you have any idea what you are doing?!"

Ginny cringed away from him. Collin saw this and took a deep breath. "Look, Ginny. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up on you like that. You've never made a bad decision guy wise before." He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "If you tell me that you think he might have changed and that he might be worth it than I'll believe you." Ginny looked up at him. "I still don't like him though." Collin amended quickly. "But... If you tell me he's all right I'll give him a chance. Okay?" Ginny nodded.

"I really think that he's changed, Collin. I spent the morning with him and I haven't laughed like that in a long time. For the first time since everything went wrong I was really happy." Tears filled her eyes. Collin pulled her into him.

"All right, sweetie. If you say that he made you happy, then I'm happy."

Ginny told him everything that had happened that morning. When she finished Collin was staring at her stunned. "Wow! He did that?"

Ginny looked at him expectantly.

"I can't believe that he comforted you. Usually he would have criticised or laughed, but he held you while you cried. And he actually told you that he had feelings for you and asked you out? And it wasn't about looks?"

"HEY!" Ginny smacked him on the arm. "What are you saying? That the only reason that anyone would ask me out is because of my looks?"

Collin looked at her in shock. "No. Of course not, sweetheart. It's just that I actually believe him."

"Why?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Gin, honey, I've seen what you look like when you cry. You are not an elegant crier."

Ginny laughed and smacked him again.

"So when are you two going on your date?" Collin asked with a grin.

"This Saturday. We're going to Hogsmeade together. Why?"

Collin grinned. "It's just an idea, but since I am your best friend and all..." At Ginny's look he quickly added, "I don't want to chaperon or anything, but how about you and Malfoy meet me and Pamela for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Ginny smiled at him. "I think that's a great idea. It's a date. Thanks Collin." She hugged him and got up and headed to bed. She thought that today was the best day that she had had at Hogwarts yet. Ginny fell asleep with a smile on her face that night.

* * *

_A/N: See? I promised to update today and I have. ;) I will try to update again by next weekend but it may take a little while for me to get back into the groove of things since it's been so long. I have a little bit of writer's block but am hoping that it will not last. _

_Dracoginnylover24-- Thanks for the review. I'm happy that you liked it and that you have stuck with me for so long. As always thank you for the luck. I can always use it, especially now with the writer's block. I will update again soon so keep an eye out. Thanks again._

_Writerofdarkness6-- winces in shame I said I was sorry. I hope that you can forgive me since this was well within the time frame that you gave me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you will enjoy this chapter as much._

_Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me. As always constructive criticism is welcome as long as it is constructive. I'd like to hear what you all think. Thanks... Bria/gemini69_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6 A Full Week**_

The rest of Ginny's week was full to the brim. Tuesday she had DADA, Potions, Transfiguration, and Quidditch (she was Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and was holding tryouts throughout the week.). It was more hectic than she had thought. It was a damn good thing that she had Mondays off or she might of dropped dead during the middle of the year.

DADA went great. Harry was an amazing teacher as he had proved in the old D.A. classes that he had taught. He made it fun and educational and that was an accomplishment in itself. He picked her as a dueling partner to show the class how some of the curses and counter curses were done. Everyone was doing much better with Harry as their teacher and it amazed Ginny how interested all of the students actually were in DADA now that the war was over.

Potions was always an easy subject for Ginny. She just seemed to have a certain knack for making Potions. Snape had always begrudged her for it and had singled her out throughout all of her time at Hogwarts. Draco however was making the class as fun as possible. They were learning how to make Felix Felicis or 'Liquid Luck'. It was extremely hard to make but it was worth the challenge if you did it right. Everyone had been completely relaxed after the first ten minutes when they realized that Professor Malfoy's teaching methods were not like Snape's. Though he taught with a firm hand he didn't play favorites and he wasn't too strict.

Professor Granger was the new Transfiguration teacher. Ginny could barely keep from laughing throughout the whole lesson. At times Hermione looked so frustrated that Ginny thought her head was going to explode. It never did though, even when she had to show Collin the same wrist movement ten times. All in all the class was pretty much fun except for the fact that Hermione had no patience whatsoever. Ginny had no idea how she had taught Harry and Ron anything with that amount of impatience.

When the final bell for the day rang Ginny couldn't have been happier. She ran up to her dormitory and grabbed her Quidditch things and headed to the Quidditch pitch for tryouts. Not as many people had turned up today as she thought would. That was why she had decided to make tryouts last all week. That way if any of the students had too much to do or wanted to squeeze a little more practice in before trying out then they would have the chance. She had two people trying for chasers today, three keepers, a seeker, and a beater. Maybe one of the chasers was up to par. Other than that she thought the seeker was fairly good but no one else was probably going to make the cut and if they did God help the team.

Ginny dragged herself up to her dormitory slowly. Today had to be one of the longest days that she had ever had. The rest of the week ahead of her didn't look any better. The school had started up a special class for morphing into an animagus. Only the strongest witches and wizards in the school were given the privilege of taking the class and Gin had scraped in by a hair. She had that on Wednesdays and Fridays. Lupin had come back to teach the new Animagus class. It was held at night so that some of the teachers could learn as well.

By the time the weekend came Ginny was exhausted. It was Friday night and she was sitting in the common room by herself seeing as Collin had gone down to dinner with Pamela. She had decided to cook her own since she had to make up the final draft for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was sitting cross legged on the floor with notepads and pictures spread all around her. Her dinner was sitting on the coffee table, forgotten. She was scribbling away on a clipboard then going back and crossing things out and rechecking others. She had put a pencil through her hair to keep it out of her face. She had on old sweatpants that road low on her hips and a tank top in black that stated that the Little Engine no longer gave a shit. That was how Draco found her.

Draco had noticed that Ginny never came down for dinner and after waiting for ten minutes had decided to check on her. He had gone to the kitchens first and gotten a plate fixed for her. He walked down the hall towards the common room and stopped short in the doorway. She had reading glasses on that were slipping down her nose as she read. Every now and then she would push them back into place. He smiled as he listened to her muttering to herself. He knocked on the door frame.

Ginny jerked her head up at the sound. Draco smiled at her. "Is this a private party or can I come in?" He smiled at her with a lifted brow.

Ginny shook her head a couple of times to clear it of the numbers still running through it. "Sure." She took off her glasses, rubbed the bridge of her nose, and put the glasses back into place. "Come on in and have a seat." She glanced around at the mess that she had created. "If you can find one." She added embarrassed.

Draco walked in and put her dinner down on the coffee table beside the grilled cheese sandwich that had already gone cold. "I brought you dinner. This one you're going to eat." He sat down behind her and started massaging her shoulders. "What's so important that you didn't eat anyway?" He looked over her shoulder and saw all of the snapshots around her. "Organizing Creevey's photography collection?"

Ginny looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. "No. I have to cut at least half of these people to have the final cut for Gryffindor's Quidditch team this year. Some of the decisions are very hard to make though."

"Oh." Draco leaned over her and picked up the clipboard. About three pages were filled with all of the players stats: strengths, weaknesses, position they're trying for, position they'd be best at, weight, height, endurance, strength, body fat, build. Draco blew a breath out between his teeth. "Damn you're thorough. I would have hated to have you for my Captain." At her look he quickly corrected himself. "No. I mean... You're a good Captain and that means that you'll probably win every game this year, but if I was trying out for the Quidditch team I wouldn't want to tell the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts all of this about me unless I got a date out of it." Ginny laughed.

"Well, I don't know about the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts bit, but thanks for the rest of it. I really want to prove to everyone that I can be a good Captain this year. Most of the people seem to think that Harry gave me the position because of what used to be between us. I want to prove those people wrong. I want to show everyone that I deserve this. That I earned it. You know what I mean?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah. Now... are you going to eat or do I have to force feed you?"

Ginny looked around. "But, I have to finish all of this." She indicated the papers with a wave of her hand.

Draco shrugged. "That's simple. You eat and I'll read their stats to you. We can do this in half the time if we do it together and then you can actually get some sleep before we go to Hogsmeade."

"Oh!" Ginny sat up straighter. "By the way, I told Collin about tomorrow. He wanted us to meet him and Pamela for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and I told him that that would be fine."

Draco gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure that he doesn't just want to try to kill me?"

Ginny giggled. "No." She got up and cleared a space on the couch and set the plate in her lap before shoveling some of the mashed potatoes into her mouth. "But, if you want to date me then you have to do it sooner or later right?"

Draco nodded. "I guess I can't argue with that. Okay."

Ginny smiled at him. For the next two hours Draco read the stats to her and she told him what she thought. By the time Collin got back from dinner they only had three more people to cut.

Collin came up short when he saw how chummy they were. "Hey Gin." He said as he walked into the room.

Ginny turned on the couch and smiled up at him. "Hey! You right on time. We're about to cut the last three people, and then we have the whole team."

Collin glanced from her to Draco to the piles of paper on the floor. "Wow. When I left you had to cut like twenty people. I can't believe that you got through them that fast." He grinned down at her. When he saw the dark circles starting to form he sat next to her. "All right. Let's cut the last three people."

They worked together for about thirty more minutes before they finally finished. Ginny looked up stunned. "All righty then. I have three chasers including myself, two beater, one keeper, and one seeker. Thank God. The Gryffindor Quidditch team has been formed." She sighed and leaned back, removing the glasses and setting them on the coffee table. "Thanks guys. If you two hadn't helped me then I would have been up all night working on this." She stood and stretched.

When Draco saw her yawn he smiled. "I think it's time that the Princess retired for the night." He grabbed her hand and led her to her bedroom. He waited a little ways away while she gave the door her password. Ginny turned. "Sorry. I have to run to the kitchen and put the dishes to soak and get a glass of water before I go to bed."

Draco held his hand up before she could move past him. "You go lie down. I'll get the glass of water. Then once you're asleep I'll do the dishes and let myself out. Okay?"

She smiled and tried to cover another yawn. "You sure?"

Draco simply nudged her into her room. He was back in less than a minute with a glass of water for her. "Good night, Princess." He kissed her forehead and shut her bedroom door behind him. He gathered up the dishes and carried them into the kitchen.

Collin followed him. "Thanks for helping her. She would have pushed herself and been up all night and then gone to Hogsmeade without any sleep because she's looking forward to your date." He pulled out his wand and with a flick of his wrist the dishes started to clean themselves. He leaned back on the counter and looked Draco up and down. "Maybe she's right about you. Maybe you have changed." He held out his hand and Draco took it.

As Draco headed for the door he looked back at Collin. "Do me a favor? Make sure she actually sleeps. I know that you have her password, just make sure that she sleeps."

"I will." Collin nodded to him.

"Thanks." Draco turned and walked out of the door. When it closed behind him Collin grinned. _I'll be damned_ was his last thought before he turned out the lights and headed to bed.

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that it has taken so long to update. I've been working crazy hours and planning a wedding so... Hopefully you can understand. Anyways... Here it is. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Bria/gemini69_

_Dracoginnylover24-- As always thanks for the review and the luck. You may wish luck to everyone every time you review but I thank anyone who wishes me luck every time they do. lol. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed this so far. I'm about half way done with the next chapter so that should be up some time in the next week or two. Thanks again for stickin with me._

_SweetSourBlood-- Thanks for the review! Glad you like it so far and hope you stick with me through it. _


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